All posts tagged ‘The Protomen’

As an extra to our community gift guides, this year the editors of GeekDad are each doing their own guides as well. We get to see and play with a lot of stuff each year, and here is an eclectic selection of a few of the things I’ve really liked:

Scooby Doo Mystery Inc. (Cartoon Network)

Scooby Doo Mystery Inc.: I’m going to say it. This show was the best Scooby show ever. That should not detract from the original series, which established the iconic characters, but SDMI took those characters and that concept, and made it something new and wonderful. It was Buffy good. The fact that the show was rather lost on Cartoon Network, running in the middle of the afternoons, is a real shame. This was prime time material, and would have had a huge following in its first run. At this point, the entire first season, and part of the second, are out on DVD. If you or someone you love was ever a Scooby fan, and/or a Buffy fan, buy them this show, and then sit and enjoy it with them. You’ll be happy you did. Season 1 in total, and the first part of Season 2 are available on DVD, and the full show is available on instant download on Amazon.

Logitech Alert Home Security Camera (Image via Logitech.com)

Logitech Alert Home Security Cameras: I got into evaluating home security cameras and whole systems this year, and had to deal with some very different methodologies when it came to setting up and using them, depending upon the technology. I have to say, the Logitech cameras were the easiest to get up and running. The hardware is nicely designed, looking far less utilitarian than some of the other choices; you will actually like having these mounted around your house to keep an eye on things. There are also dedicated monitoring clients for both PC and Mac, rather than just web portals and apps (however, there is an ongoing bug in the Mac client that requires a Terminal session to fix; need software update!). I love being able to have my iPad open on the kitchen counter, and keep an eye on the front walk to see if anyone is coming to the door! Logitech Alert Home Security Cameras, starting at $299 for an indoor Master system.

Ed Lewis’ simply perfect year-long calendar.

Continuous Calendars: Ed Lewis wanted a calendar to help plan for his family. Small calendars were useless for long-term planning, and when you’ve got a family, it’s really helpful to look at things a couple months in advance with ease. He looked online, and couldn’t find anything that fit his needs. So he decided to design his own full-year one-sheet calendar. He then ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund a print run, and now he’s selling the calendars himself. The 24″ x 36″ laminated calendar will fit on the side of a fridge, and work with dry-erase markers if you like. You can see the whole year, and have a true global view of your plans. It’s simple, sensible, inexpensive, and really useful! Plus, Ed has offered a promo code! Use GEEKDAD for $3 off.

Meze 73 Classics Headphones (Image from Mezeheadphones.com)

Meze Headphones: I’m a big listening-to-stuff person. Not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, but I can darn well appreciate the difference between a good pair of headphones and what they give away for free on airlines. And I love Meze Headphones. They are gorgeous, they sound great, and they feel great. These are a premium product, for sure, but worth it in so many ways. This year, Antonio Meze has a new set out, the 73 Classics, that are luxurious on-the-ear ‘phones that continue the tradition of looking and sounding beautiful. Meze 73 Classics Headphones, $259.

The Protomen Present: A Night of Queen

The Protomen Present: A Night of Queen: First, the Protomen’s Act II: The Father of Death is actually in my top 20 favorite albums of all time. I’ll listen to it anytime. That being said, the record that pushed it down in my play rotation this year was this little evening of fun. It turns out that the best Megaman Rock-Opera band in the world is also, quite possibly, the best Queen cover band as well. Their ability to sound like the originals, all the while showing a deference to the spirit of the band and a reverence to the music, make this a simply transcendent listen. You’d be a fool not to pick this up for someone you love (including yourself). Digital downloads start at $8.

Ken and I really struggled to find a way to celebrate the 100th episode of GeekDad HipTrax without simply rehashing a bunch of stuff we’ve already featured. After some careful deliberation we submit for the approval of our longsuffering listening community the following collection which we have dubbed “The HipTrax Definitive 10.”

It’s 10 songs from 10 distinct artists that truly encapsulate what the geeky music meta-community is all about, and it includes old and new tracks like:

Though not technically released until June 1st, those who pre-ordered The Protomen’s new live tribute Present: A Night of Queen– like our own Ken Denmead – received the album early. The rest of you will have to wait, but we’ve provided a couple of tracks to tide you over.

While not serving as a member of Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew, Brad Podray participates in a number of other unique musical projects. In his new release Soundtrack for a Great Adventurehe provides a selection of ten amazing (and totally free) instrumentals to serve as backing tracks to whatever excitement awaits in your daily life.

Having already conquered the worlds of comic book- and television-inspired music, Adam WarRock recently set his sights on the realm of anime. And since no property is more deserving of a hip-hop tribute than seminal 1988 classic Akira, that’s exactly what Adam’s Neo-Tokyo EP provides.

Want to hear more? Subscribe to the GeekDad podcast in iTunes (see the button on the sidebar), or directly through the RSS feed. You can also download GeekDad HipTrax #89 via this link.

The HipTrax theme song was created by Snake Eyes. He’ll save every one of us.

Though not technically released until June 1st, those who pre-ordered The Protomen’s new live tribute Present: A Night of Queen– like our own Ken Denmead – received the album early. The rest of you will have to wait, but we’ve provided a couple of tracks to tide you over.

While not serving as a member of Captain Dan and the Scurvy Crew, Brad Podray participates in a number of other unique musical projects. In his new release Soundtrack for a Great Adventurehe provides a selection of ten amazing (and totally free) instrumentals to serve as backing tracks to whatever excitement awaits in your daily life.

Having already conquered the worlds of comic book- and television-inspired music, Adam WarRock recently set his sights on the realm of anime. And since no property is more deserving of a hip-hop tribute than seminal 1988 classic Akira, that’s exactly what Adam’s Neo-Tokyo EP provides.

Want to hear more? Subscribe to the GeekDad podcast in iTunes (see the button on the sidebar), or directly through the RSS feed. You can also download GeekDad HipTrax #89 via this link.

The HipTrax theme song was created by Snake Eyes. He’ll save every one of us.

Hindsight being what it is, I find myself looking back at the thoughts I shared regarding Nerdapalooza 2010 with a knowing grin. When speaking of the dissatisfying elements of that year’s festival –- the scheduling woes, sound issues and overall setup –- I referenced the challenges facing Hex and his team of organizers. I spoke frankly (but hopefully) about the uncertain future of the event as it continued to grow into its adult form. While I stand by those words, even the less-than favorable ones, I am man enough to admit that my alarmism was unfounded.

Contrary to my concerns, the Nerdapalooza crew did find its way; it did manage to walk that fine line between concert and convention. If Nerdapalooza 2010 was an experiment, then this year’s festival put all that collected data to good use. With a two room layout – the larger of which featured the main merch area, vendor tables and the NOS-sponsored stage while the smaller boasted the art gallery and the GeekDad stage – properly engineered sound/visuals and the instantly endearing Schaffer the Darklord and Nelson Lugo as the event hosts, Nerdapalooza 2011 was the best of all possible outcomes. Continue Reading “Nerdapalooza 2011: A Community-Building Event (With Music)” »

This edition of GeekDad HipTrax focuses on the geek rock element of forthcoming music festival Nerdapalooza. Though often associated more closely with nerdcore giants like regular headliner MC Frontalot, ‘Palooza hosts a variety of acts from across the breadth of the nerd music spectrum. Herein we showcase a trio of geeky guitar-slingers performing at this weekend’s event.

Orlando singer/songwriter Marc with a C combines everything from punk rock minimalism to anti-folk surrealism to attain his charming guitar pop sound. Fans new and old can catch Marc’s set at 6:05 on the evening of Saturday the 17th, day one of Nerdapalooza 2010.

Sci-Fried channel the south’s own spirit of larger-than-life arena rock into an amazing blend of science fiction storytelling, clever parodies and amazing original licks. They’ll be hitting the Nerdapalooza stage on day two at around 5:30 PM.

HipTrax favorites The Protomen are the headlining act this Saturday the 17th. Their set will kick off at 9:40 and close out the festival’s first day at 11:00. Thankfully, those poor unfortunates who miss this show can still catch them on tour throughout the month of July.

Still thirsty for fresh tracks? Subscribe to the GeekDad podcast in iTunes (see the button on the sidebar), or directly through the RSS feed. You can also download GeekDad HipTrax #54 via this link.

The HipTrax theme song was created by Snake Eyes. He won’t be attending Nerdapalooza 2010, but he did recently purchase his first house. Congrats, Snake!